"Utilizing Open-Source AI Models Should Be Encouraged"
China's generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant service 'DeepSeek,' which had sparked controversy over excessive personal information collection, has reportedly conveyed its intention to comply with South Korea's personal information laws. However, the timing for resuming domestic downloads of the DeepSeek app has not yet been determined.
On the afternoon of the 27th, Ko Hak-su, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, "DeepSeek considers the Korean market important and has sent a message that it will strive to comply with the law," adding, "They are making efforts to align their (personal information processing policy) with our laws."
Goh Hak-su, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, is speaking at the regular briefing for March 2025 held on the afternoon of the 27th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Personal Information Protection Commission
Earlier, starting from the 15th of last month, DeepSeek temporarily suspended new downloads of its app on South Korea's two major app markets (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) amid growing concerns over excessive collection and transmission of personal information. In response, the Personal Information Protection Commission sent an official inquiry regarding the methods of personal information collection and processing to DeepSeek's headquarters and began an independent analysis of the service. Subsequently, some deficiencies were identified in the personal information processing policy, and the commission recommended a temporary suspension along with improvements and supplements.
After receiving the commission's inquiry, DeepSeek designated a domestic representative to communicate. Chairperson Ko explained, "After sending the inquiry, a domestic representative was appointed, and communication with DeepSeek has been ongoing." According to the commission, DeepSeek has explained that there were shortcomings related to the personal information processing policy during the rushed launch of its global service.
The timing for resuming domestic downloads of the DeepSeek app has not yet been set. Chairperson Ko said, "There is no specific timeline," adding, "Discussions are ongoing between the working-level personnel, and both sides need to agree that preparations are sufficient, but at this point, it is not the stage to say when the service block will be lifted."
Regarding suspicions that data from DeepSeek users was transferred to ByteDance, the Chinese company operating the short-form platform 'TikTok,' he explained, "We have confirmed that (DeepSeek users') data flow headed to ByteDance's cloud servers and are currently investigating the details."
Chairperson Ko expressed a positive view on companies utilizing open-source AI models, calling it "something to be encouraged." Open source refers to programming source code made public so that anyone can use it for new development. Representative open-source AI models include DeepSeek's model and Meta's 'LLaMA.' He said, "I think using open-source models is fundamentally something to be encouraged," but added, "Related agencies, including the Personal Information Protection Commission, need to pay attention to ensure that no security concerns arise during this process."
Regarding the preliminary inspection of personal information collection and usage status, currently underway mainly among major robot vacuum cleaner brands, he explained that it is still in the initial inspection phase. Chairperson Ko said, "For hardware-related products including robot vacuum cleaners, there is a consideration that a certification system might be necessary," adding, "Introducing a universal certification system involves many considerations, so we are internally deliberating."
On the situation where the U.S. Donald Trump administration has defined regulations on personal information and others as non-tariff barriers and is exerting pressure, he said, "We are identifying and organizing what issues the U.S. government has," adding, "Information exchange between related agencies is ongoing, and full-scale discussions will begin from April."
Goh Hak-su, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, is speaking at the regular briefing for March 2025 held on the afternoon of the 27th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Provided by the Personal Information Protection Commission
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